The Winegrowers
Loïc Alazard
"My name is Loïc Alazard, and I represent the proud and
ambitious fourth generation of winemakers on our family estate.
As far back as I can remember, I chose this path at the age of
11. The passion and love for working the land took hold of me
very early. I pursued professional training, earning a Vocational
Baccalaureate in Viticulture and Oenology, followed by a BTS in
Viticulture and Oenology (2009-2014). I further developed my
knowledge through internships at Domaine Santa Duc
(Gigondas), Domaine Bertrand Stehelin (Gigondas), Maison
Alain Paret (St Joseph/Condrieu), and Mountford Estate (New
Zealand).
After these enriching experiences, I returned to the family estate
with a clear vision. I created Domaine Les Sibu and produced
our own wine for the very first time in September 2015! Until
then, all production had been managed through a cooperative
winery. Today, we vinify half of our harvest at the Les Sibu
winery, while the other half continues to go to the cooperative.
With a continuous and passionate drive for progress, openness,
and excellence, we began our transition to organic farming in
2020. The 2023 vintage proudly bears the AB organic
certification.
A little family history: I am the 7th Sibu by name! It has been our
family's nickname as farmers for six generations."
Jérôme Alazard
Jean Pierre Alazard
"The winemaking adventure truly began in 1986. At that time, my interest in viticulture
was limited and tentative. As I approached my twenties, my main aspirations leaned
more toward distant travels and my passion for motorcycles. But over the years,
working the land within such an exceptional environment, feeling the rhythm of the
seasons, and learning to sync with each vine to nurture it with total integrity
transformed my perspective. I have come to deeply respect this vital land that we
have both the privilege and responsibility to preserve a land rich with life and
complexity, secrets held within its very structure. Taking the time to breathe alongside
it that is what drives me."
"Here is my story as a farmer:
At 14, after completing my primary school certificate, I began working with my father on a humble farm. It included a few vineyard plots and other parcels dedicated to various crops like melons, tomatoes, asparagus, and a grapevine nursery the main source of income at the time. Back then, we worked with horses; our first tractor arrived only years later. At 20, I had to do my military service,
two grueling years in Algeria. I returned in 1962, safe and sound, though deeply affected by everything I had seen and endured. I resumed work with my father with renewed dedication. Not long after, I met a young woman, quiet and sensitive. We shared our stories, and our love became lifelong. We married in 1965. That year, I asked my father if I could graft on my own; he agreed readily. But after planting, just as everything looked promising, a hailstorm destroyed all the crops a disaster! I took up work with a shipper, driving a truck and selling at markets to make ends meet. The following year, I resumed grafting vine plants. I met a man named Tourette, a wine merchant who offered me work for the
Champagne region. For several years, I sold my entire crop to him. I also began leasing a few vineyard plots and selling the grapes to a wine merchant. One day, a vineyard owner in Sablet, struggling with health issues, asked if I could manage his vines on a sharecropping basis. I agreed 12 hectares, including 5 in the AOC Gigondas appellation, with the option of delivering to the Gigondas cooperative. At that time, one had to wait three years for aging before receiving any payments. That
same year, Jérôme was due to start working with me. After the owner passed away, succession issues forced us to leave that property. Later, I had the opportunity to acquire some beautiful vineyard plots, which needed replanting. Then, my grandson Loïc returned to the family estate an established his own winery, Domaine Les Sibu, producing and bottling his winesa great satisfaction for me.
Today, I am the old Sibu, 84 years old the fifth generation of Sibu farmers."